Batman must face off against his worst enemy…a vacation, in the latest Lego DC Comics Super Heroes movie “Gotham City Breakout”. Who will watch over Gotham City in the Caped Crusader’s reluctant absence? What trouble will the Dark Knight’s “vacation” bring about? Will Robin finish up his homework in time for the nightly patrol?
All of those questions are answered throughout the course of “Gotham City Breakout”, the latest of the Lego/DC animated films. When the Bat Family forces Batman to take a break and go visit mentors from his past, Superman is tasked with watching over Gotham City and thinks that it will be an easy task since he has superpowers and none of Batman’s enemies do. As if scripted that way, trouble immediately ensues when the Man of Steel ignores Robin’s warnings and his experience with the villains of Gotham City.

While Batman is away with Nightwing and Batgirl on his supposed getaway, they too run into some trouble when Batman’s mentor Madame Mantis isn’t quite who she seems. Suddenly villains from Batman’s rogues gallery have the Dynamic Trio in a bind and fighting for the freedom for not only themselves but for an entire race of underground dwellers.

Unlike the other line of DC animated movies released by Warner Bros. Animation, the Lego DC Super Heroes movies are directed towards a wider audience. I don’t want to say that they are only meant for a younger audience, but instead are mostly geared towards kids but with plenty of Easter eggs and nods to the source material that keep even the oldest of comic book fans entertained. Keeping with the trend of the other Lego/DC movies as well as the Lego video games, the animation is beautiful with bright, vivid visuals as well as characters stylized in that Lego look that has become commonplace. The voice acting is top notch with industry staples such as John DiMaggio, Nolan North and Tara Strong appearing in the movie.

Even though the movie was mostly Batman-centric, the supporting cast was what made the movie for me. Having not only Nightwing and Batgirl appear but also a few of the Teen Titans (voiced by the original actors from the animated series), Deathstroke, the Penguin, Joker and Poison Ivy and Harley Quinn to name a few, made things much more interesting.

Not to call them predictable, but you know what to expect with the Lego movies…and it’s not a bad thing. There is plenty of family-friendly humor, comic book lore, goofy characters, wacky situations and pretty much a fun time to be had by all while watching a Lego animated movie. No matter the movie, there are always those moments where you’ll laugh out loud or have to rewind to watch again and “Gotham City Breakout” is no exception. To keep with tradition, not only do you get a fun and wacky animated adventure, but you also get your very own Lego Nightwing to add to your collection. Seriously…what more could you ask for?

Bottom Line: Keeping with the trend, “Gotham City Breakout” follows the tradition of a goofy and fun Lego/DC animated experience, this time adding the Justice League to the mix of Gotham City regulars. I really enjoyed the choices for the two main villains as well as some Teen Titans love.Running Time: 78 MinsRating: Not RatedExtras Rating:Overall Rating: